


Unmated

by cryingcryptids (tatterwitch)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hospitals, Illnesses, M/M, Multi, Omega James, Rejection, Self-Loathing, Trans Omega Keith, alpha shiro, trans man keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-31 10:55:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18589840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatterwitch/pseuds/cryingcryptids
Summary: “I’m sorry I did this to you. To the both of you. You deserved better. Deserve better. And it will be better. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I-” Keith’s voice breaks and he almost sobs.  He presses his lips together until his breathing is manageable again.  “I’m sorry. I love you. Both of you. And that’s why I have to leave. I only hurt you guys.  I can’t do that anymore. I can’t. You deserve better. It’ll be better without me. The doctors agree.”





	Unmated

Keith stares down at the reminder on his phone.  
  


The little cheery yellow flag is at odds with the sudden churning in his gut. Dark text spells out a warning of his Alpha’s starting rut cycle.   
  


In the past, the missive would have made his belly clench with heat and his skin prickle with anticipation. Now, he only feels a cold sort of dread that gnawed at his ribs from the inside.  
  


Keith is painfully aware that he isn’t like other Omegas. He’s not small and waifish. He’s not soft. His scent isn’t sweet. He’s the antithesis of everything his secondary gender is supposed to be. It’s a low blow in every way.   
  


It had taken him years to learn himself and to feel comfortable in his own body. And then, he’d presented and it felt as though everything he’d known had been thrown aside by nature.  
  


Keith knows that he isn’t like other Omegas. He’d thought that he’d come to terms with that. After some time relearning himself, after finding a mate, and then another, he’d thought that he’d finally settled into his skin.   
  


He’d been wrong.  
  


The past months had blurred past in trial packets of pills and mornings spent bent over the toilet. Heats and ruts had passed and each one left Keith feeling sicker and increasingly distant.   
  


Shiro was needy in his ruts; all pure Alpha with a heart of gold. He was desperate for his Omegas. He groaned so beautifully when Keith took his knot and rode him til he was senseless and both of them shook. He whimpered, mouth continuously buried between James’ thighs.  
  


James. It was James that Shiro was always desperate for during his ruts. It was James that was the perfect Omega. James; soft in the right places, kind, clever, and handsome, was the Omega Shiro deserved.  
  


Keith had taken every effort to make himself like James. He’d tried to soften the sharp, whipcord lines of his body. He’d taken supplements and trial pills to change his scent and increase the proper hormones in his body. Nothing had worked.  
  


And, after Shiro’s previous rut, Keith had realized that this would never work.  
  


The reminder’s flag disappears under the press of his thumb.   
  


Keith closes his eyes at the sound of a familiar car door clapping shut.  
  


The front door opens, closes. Shoes knock against the baseboards. Socked feet patter down the hall and scuff quietly over the rug of the living room. The couch dips and heat rolls off of solid muscle as it presses into his side.  
  


“Keith,” Shiro’s voice already has that ragged edge. It makes Keith shiver despite everything.  
  


Keith’s throat clicks as he swallows. He keeps still as Shiro noses his jaw and wraps around him. Short hair tickles his throat as his Alpha huffs a breath.  
  


“James is on his way.” Keith extricates his hand from where it’d been pinned between his hip and Shiro’s leg.  
  


 "Want you." Shiro's breath is hot on his throat.   
  


Keith tries to ignore the way Shiro's hands rub over his thighs and checks his phone. James had left work nearly a half-hour ago. He'd be home at any time.   
  


"Are you sure?" Keith's fingertips blanch around the phone before he sets it aside.   
  


Shiro nips at the spot beneath his ear with a muffled whimper.   
  


"Yeah. Love you." A broad, hot hand sinks between his legs and rubs over the seam of his jeans.   
  


Keith flinches before pushing Shiro's hand away.   
  


The front door opens and James' scent wafts in on a faint breeze. It's all vanilla and butter and sugar and Keith doesn't miss the way Shiro stops his ministrations to look for the source. He doesn't miss the way Shiro leans into James' touch with a soft whimper and a slow blink of darkened eyes.  He doesn't miss the way Shiro paws eagerly at James as he's led to the bedroom. He doesn't miss the way James' slick makes his thighs and ass shine or the way Shiro goes after it with a hungry mouth.   
  


James rolls his hips over the Alpha's face, little cock bobbing and dribbling. He comes with a strangled cry and reaches out for Keith.   
  


Keith swallows hard in the doorway, body hot and cold all at once. He turns his face away from the scene and ignores the mewl of oversensitive pleasure that bubbles up from James' throat. He ducks out quietly.   
  


The kitchen and bathroom cabinets open and close under Keith's hands with soft thuds.   
  


He ignores the churning ice inside his gut and the desperate noises from the bedroom. He ignores it when he hears Shiro's voice call out for him; reedy and hungry. He ignores it all until he hears the mattress cease its rhythmic rocking. His knuckles whiten around the edge of the kitchen counter.   
  


Bare feet pad over the tile and Keith watches James, still nude and damp and flushed, pick up some of the supplies he's set out moments ago.   
  


James takes a breath like means to say something.   
  


Keith grits his teeth but is saved by Shiro whining in the bedroom.   
  


James disappears down the hall again.   
  


Shiro's thin call of need cuts off as James groans.   
  


Keith scrubs his hands over his face and locks himself in the bathroom.   
  


Sunlight plays over the walls and floor in a slow arc as it shines through the skylight. The tub faucet drips, water rhythmically splattering onto porcelain. Soft gold light gradually fades into something pinker as the sun sets and the bathroom grows darker.  Here, the sounds of sex are muffled into almost near-nonexistence.   
  


At least until bare feet thunder up the hall as James calls his name. There's a vague edge of something lining his voice that makes the ice in Keith's belly turn frosty. Anxiety makes James' scent smell burnt.   
  


James's hands flatten on the bathroom door heavily and he sounds like he's out of breath.   
  


"Keith, something's wrong with Shiro. He needs you." His voice is thick, watery.   
  


It's all it takes for Keith to swing the door open. James' face is blotchy and wet. He reeks of sex and tears.  
  


Shiro's dizzy. Nauseous. He's come a few times but his libido hasn't calmed any.   
  


Keith shoves his emotions and the icy current in his belly aside. He follows James back down the hall and shucks his clothing at the foot of the bed.   
  


Shiro whimpers pitifully when he's straddled.  He chokes when Keith sinks down onto him and sets a steady pace. The flush over the broad planes of his chest is blotchy and deep; more of a red than a pink. His hair sticks to his temples and his scent is...All wrong. With no warning, Shiro pitches to the side and wretches.   
  


It's clear that whatever is wrong is only getting worse with Keith's involvement.   
  


James phones emergency services and within the hour, Shiro is being carted to the hospital in the back of an ambulance. James rides along and Keith follows behind.   
  


They're both barred from the room as the doctors work. They're kept in the dark until what seems like hours have passed.   
  


When the doctor emerges, she tells them that they've stabilized Shiro and stifled his rut to give him time to heal. She sits them both down for the next part.  She stresses that pairings like theirs are often detrimental – though not always.   
  


But Keith latches onto that first bit. What if….He’s just been hurting them both all along. He’s not like other Omegas. He’s not as soft and eager to please as James. His scent isn’t particularly Omega. Clearly he made Shiro hurt and sick. And in turn, hurt James….Maybe it would be best if actually did sever the bond.   
  


Keith really retreats further into himself. He stays in the waiting room even when Shiro’s cleared for visitors. He doesn’t go home. He doesn’t go to Shiro’s room. He just….Huddles. He wants to run. But he knows that would hurt more. So maybe if he puts distance between them like this. It’ll be easier. An unraveling instead of a tear.   
  


Meanwhile….Shiro’s stable. But he feels….Almost halved, Like part of him is missing. James is a comfort, as always….But something’s still missing. The bond bite on his right shoulder feels numb. It's like it's lost all sensation. No matter how hard he presses at the spot where Keith had bitten him.   
  


James is hurting, too. Keith’s his mate as much as Shiro is and the symptoms of rejection are starting to show in him, too.   
  


Keith makes his decision.   
  


He hates it. He doesn’t want to do it. But maybe…They’ll be better without him.   
  


He waits until he knows they’re asleep to visit.    
  


James is slumped half out of his chair beside Shiro’s bed. His top half rests over Shiro’s lap. Their hands are curled together.   
  


Keith feels something in him ache like a bone healed wrong. He blinks hard against the prickling heat that crawls up his throat. He clenches his fists against the urge to comb his fingers through their messy hair. Messy hair. Their hair was always neat, tidy.    
  


Keith falls more than sits into the extra chair by the bedside. He pushes his palms hard against his eyes. Salt runs down his chin and cheeks despite that.   
  


"I’m sorry.” He whispers, voice cracking in the quiet.    
  


Shiro’s monitors beep softly.   
  


“I’m sorry I did this to you. To the both of you. You deserved better. Deserve better. And it will be better. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I-” Keith’s voice breaks and he almost sobs.  He presses his lips together until his breathing is manageable again.  “I’m sorry. I love you. Both of you. And that’s why I have to leave. I only hurt you guys.  I can’t do that anymore. I can’t. You deserve better. It’ll be better without me. The doctors agree.”    
  


Keith’s breathing evens out as he lets the numbness wash over him.  Salt still tracks down his cheeks as he stares at their hands atop the sheets.   
  


He remembers the talk with the doctor.   
  


_“There’s a chance that their bond will strengthen, yes.” The doctor nods, brow pinched. “But the toll is often incredibly detrimental.”_   
  


_Keith stares at the framed accolades on the wall._   
  


_“They’ll make it through just fine. They always do.”_   
  


_They’ve never needed me._    
  


Keith presses his lips together against the last bit.   
  


_“MRS, Mating Rejection Syndrome, has already worked most of its course through them, Mr. Kogane. In a few short days, your Bond will be wholly severed. The symptoms will then begin to affect you MRS can be detrimental to Mated pairs but can prove….Lethal in pairings like your own. The rejection of one mate is one thing, but two-”_   
  


_Keith shuts his eyes tight against the doctor’s words._   
  


It doesn’t matter. Shiro and James would be fine. They’d fucking flourish. They…  
  


Keith swallows hard again. The awful cream-colored blanket blurs as his heart twists.   
  


“I need you both to know that I never stopped loving you. I never will.” Keith’s thoughts echo with unsaid things that he locks up tight. His breath sounds wet and too loud in the room.   
  


“Don’t-” The voice is a broken thing, cracking around the single syllable.   
  


Keith’s head jerks up.    
  


James’ face is pale. The freckles over his nose and cheeks have faded. His eyes…  
  


Keith’s insides twist sharply.    
  


James’ eyes are lusterless and shine only with tears that spill over his cheeks.   
  


“Don’t leave us. Please.” James reaches out with his free hand, quick despite his malady.   
  


“I have to.” Keith turns his face.    
  


He didn’t want this. He didn’t want any of this. He just should’ve ran.   
  


Fever-warm fingers wrap tight around Keith’s other wrist.   
  


Shiro’s eyes are hazy from medication but still sharp enough to cut past Keith’s armor. They always have been.   
  


“Keith. Please.”   
  


“I have to.” Keith can only manage a whisper. “I have to.”   
  


“Why?” James’s fingers tighten.“Why reject us? What did we do-"   
  


Keith shakes his head.   
  


"No. It’s not you. Either of you. You guys are….” Keith bites the inside of his cheek hard as memories bloom. “You guys aren’t the problem. It’s me. Always has been."   
  


James makes a noise between a sob and a cry.   
  


Shiro’s hand tightens on his wrist.   
  


"Keith, no-”   
  


“I’m not right for you. I’m….Not right. I’m a shitty Omega. I’m a shitty mate. Look at what I’ve done to you. Both of you. Would a good mate do that? I-"   
  


The sound Shiro makes is all outrage and sorrow. He jerks hard on Keith’s arm and sits up despite the obvious pain it causes him.   
  


"You. Are not. A shitty mate.” Shiro’s thumb rolls over the scent gland in his wrist. “You are not a shitty Omega."   
  


Keith shakes his head hard. "I hurt you."   
  


James’ hand gentles on Keith’s other wrist. His eyes shine with unshed tears.   
  


"We hurt you, too."   
  


Keith turns his head again, shoulders lifting like a last defense. "No….You didn’t- It was-”   
  


“It doesn’t matter. We hurt you, too.” Shiro’s fingers shake against his hand. “I’ve always loved you, Keith. I always will.”   
  


“Me, too.” James kisses his knuckles.   
  


A noise rises up in Keith’s throat and slips from him. It’s soft and broken and has the both of them leaning toward him.   
  


Shiro’s hair is sweat-damp where it tickles his ear. He noses along Keith’s neck and exhales shakily.    
  


“I messed up. I’m sorry.”    
  


“We both did.” James sniffs and blinks hard.    
  


Keith’s breath rattles in his throat. “I did, too. I’m sorry. I should’ve talked to you."   
  


“We should’ve talked to each other. We will, or-” Shiro pulls back and Keith mourns the loss of his scent so close. “That is, if you still want us."   
  


Keith’s heart squeezes painfully.   
  


"Of course I want you. I never stopped wanting you. I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving you.”  
  


 “Can I hug you?” Shiro asks it so timidly.    
  


Keith laughs, more of a tear-wet huff of breath than anything. He leans into Shiro’s chest gingerly, careful to avoid all the wires and sensors.    
  


Shiro has none of it. He wraps his arms tight around Keith’s shoulders and buries his face in Keith’s neck. Another slimmer set of arms loops under Keith’s ribs.   
  


James’ nose presses against the back of his neck.    
  


They sit like that for what feels like minutes. Maybe hours. Keith doesn’t care. He sinks into the embraces and lets their mingled scents cover him again.   
  


A nurse passes by, scrubs swishing in her haste. She shoots them a frown but refrains from saying anything.    
  


“Stay? Please?” Shiro pats the bed.   
  


“Yeah.” Keith leans his head on Shiro’s thigh. He sniffs before clearing his throat. “The doctor mentioned that if you guys wanted to reignite, or whatever, the bond, that we’d have to share bites again.”    
  


Something flickers in Shiro’s eyes, a mix of pure warmth and dark heat.   
  


 His fingers curl in the soft hair at Keith’s nape.    
  


“Yes. I want that. Want you.”    
  


“Agreed.” James murmurs. 


End file.
